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Lives
Plutarch Lives, I, Theseus and Romulus. Lycurgus and Numa. Solon and Publicola (Loeb Classical Library)
Plutarch (Plutarchus), ca. 45-120 CE, was born at Chaeronea in Boeotia in central Greece, studied philosophy at Athens, and, after coming to Rome as a teacher in philosophy, was given consular rank by the emperor Trajan and a procuratorship in Greece by Hadrian. He was married and the father of one daughter and four sons. He appears as a man of kindly character and independent thought, studious and learned.
Plutarch wrote on many subjects. Most popular have always been the 46 Parallel Lives, biographies planned to be ethical examples in pairs (in each pair, one Greek figure and one similar Roman), though the last four lives are single. All are invaluable sources of our knowledge of the lives and characters of Greek and Roman statesmen, soldiers and orators. Plutarch's many other varied extant works, about 60 in number, are known as Moralia or Moral Essays. They are of high literary value, besides being of great use to people interested in philosophy, ethics and religion.
The Loeb Classical Library edition of the Lives is in eleven volumes.
608 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 100
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About the author
Plutarch
4,219 books915 followersPlutarch (later named, upon becoming a Roman citizen, Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus; AD 46–AD 120) was a Greek historian, biographer, and essayist, known primarily for his Parallel Lives and Moralia. He is classified as a Middle Platonist. Plutarch's surviving works were written in Greek, but intended for both Greek and Roman readers.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 23, 2018
This took some getting accustomed to, on more than one level.
First, it is dry. Not entirely and not always, but often and for long passages, it is. The reader needs to be comfortable not understanding certain concepts, or being unacquainted with certain customs. Names, in particular, will tend to roll on into meaningless nonsense. One can simply ignore this, or drive themselves to distraction researching the meaning of every item that defies understanding. I suggest the middle path: just browse the Wikipedia entry of each featured person, before reading his biography. This alone will help immensely. Also, simply continuing to read will help as well. Things will start to work themselves out as one continues on.
Second, the original author is distanced from us by two millennia, and he is often writing about events and/or myths that were formulated half a millennium (or more) previous to his own time. There's a bit of culture shock to get past, as slavery, pederasty, and absolutely abhorrent treatment of people (especially women) abounds in these accounts, and is sometimes spoken of as having virtue. It doesn't take long to puzzle out that the mores of this time are both radically different and also not fully understood by the modern, casual reader. Worse still, the mores of Plutarch's society, are often not the ones present at the time of the people (or legendary/mythological figures) whose lives he is recounting. Which is hard, because he's trying to make moral comparisons, and the modern reader has no firm frame of reference for either side being compared.
And lastly, it's hard to determine how much of this should be seen as ancient fiction and how much of it should be seen as... ancient historical fiction. There's a temptation to read this as straight history. It's probably a good idea to cultivate a healthy skepticism, and to not form dogmatic beliefs about the classical world based solely on this work. At least, that's my sense of things. I'm sure an actual historian would have a more nuanced opinion.
So how much did I enjoy this? Hard to say. I warmed up to it more and more, as it became less difficult through more exposure. I really enjoyed the biographies of Romulus, Lycurgus, and Solon.
Although Lycurgus' biography left me far less enamored of Sparta. Popular culture has romanticized them far too much. (At least, as it is portrayed here - I've read elsewhere that some of this might be myth projected as propaganda at the time.) While certain parts of their government are mechanically interesting, I found the whole picture to be quite horrifying. Elsewhere in classic Greek and Roman accounts you can see a slow but steady march towards more freedom and better government. It's imperfect, sure, but that is the general direction. Here, I see a terrible, oppressive, and ultimately self-defeating society which completely subsumes the individual in service of the state. You can see the seeds of both autocratic nationalist and communist ideology here. It's completely dystopian.
The greater value here, I think, is in how this links up various different ideas and helps to build a feel for where certain bits of our culture came from. There are so many little threads that end up connecting as you read. I think my favorite was realizing that the meaning of the term laconic was derived from the terse, pithy manner of speech attributed to the Spartiates. And the term itself was derived from their homeland, Laconia. I found small bits of insight like that to be endlessly enjoyable.
Four Stars - It's difficult but culturally important. This isn't really entertaining, so much as it's interesting and sparks a lot of thought about how we came to be where we are... and the stories we tell ourselves about that journey.
First, it is dry. Not entirely and not always, but often and for long passages, it is. The reader needs to be comfortable not understanding certain concepts, or being unacquainted with certain customs. Names, in particular, will tend to roll on into meaningless nonsense. One can simply ignore this, or drive themselves to distraction researching the meaning of every item that defies understanding. I suggest the middle path: just browse the Wikipedia entry of each featured person, before reading his biography. This alone will help immensely. Also, simply continuing to read will help as well. Things will start to work themselves out as one continues on.
Second, the original author is distanced from us by two millennia, and he is often writing about events and/or myths that were formulated half a millennium (or more) previous to his own time. There's a bit of culture shock to get past, as slavery, pederasty, and absolutely abhorrent treatment of people (especially women) abounds in these accounts, and is sometimes spoken of as having virtue. It doesn't take long to puzzle out that the mores of this time are both radically different and also not fully understood by the modern, casual reader. Worse still, the mores of Plutarch's society, are often not the ones present at the time of the people (or legendary/mythological figures) whose lives he is recounting. Which is hard, because he's trying to make moral comparisons, and the modern reader has no firm frame of reference for either side being compared.
And lastly, it's hard to determine how much of this should be seen as ancient fiction and how much of it should be seen as... ancient historical fiction. There's a temptation to read this as straight history. It's probably a good idea to cultivate a healthy skepticism, and to not form dogmatic beliefs about the classical world based solely on this work. At least, that's my sense of things. I'm sure an actual historian would have a more nuanced opinion.
So how much did I enjoy this? Hard to say. I warmed up to it more and more, as it became less difficult through more exposure. I really enjoyed the biographies of Romulus, Lycurgus, and Solon.
Although Lycurgus' biography left me far less enamored of Sparta. Popular culture has romanticized them far too much. (At least, as it is portrayed here - I've read elsewhere that some of this might be myth projected as propaganda at the time.) While certain parts of their government are mechanically interesting, I found the whole picture to be quite horrifying. Elsewhere in classic Greek and Roman accounts you can see a slow but steady march towards more freedom and better government. It's imperfect, sure, but that is the general direction. Here, I see a terrible, oppressive, and ultimately self-defeating society which completely subsumes the individual in service of the state. You can see the seeds of both autocratic nationalist and communist ideology here. It's completely dystopian.
The greater value here, I think, is in how this links up various different ideas and helps to build a feel for where certain bits of our culture came from. There are so many little threads that end up connecting as you read. I think my favorite was realizing that the meaning of the term laconic was derived from the terse, pithy manner of speech attributed to the Spartiates. And the term itself was derived from their homeland, Laconia. I found small bits of insight like that to be endlessly enjoyable.
Four Stars - It's difficult but culturally important. This isn't really entertaining, so much as it's interesting and sparks a lot of thought about how we came to be where we are... and the stories we tell ourselves about that journey.
May 20, 2021
This is my second time through the Lives, and I like most other volumes better than this one, because they have less myth and more history. Still, there is so much that is interesting. King Numa of Rome prohibited fathers from selling their sons into slavery if the son was married; it wasn't fair to the wife, who had married a free man and then would wind up married to a slave. In Athens, Solon cancelled Draco's law that put to death anyone convicted of idleness. There's something arresting on almost every page.
In addition to that, Plutarch's personality shines benignantly over all, making it a pleasant refuge from the gnashing of teeth that seems to come from everywhere nowadays. He's learned, fair-minded, and almost never has an axe to grind. For example, he quotes Solon's own writings saying he took power reluctantly, and was forced into public life. He also cites someone else who says Solon tricked both the rich and the poor in order to gain power. Plutarch just gives both sides as far as his information permits and moves on, the perfect model of a liberally educated mind.
In addition to that, Plutarch's personality shines benignantly over all, making it a pleasant refuge from the gnashing of teeth that seems to come from everywhere nowadays. He's learned, fair-minded, and almost never has an axe to grind. For example, he quotes Solon's own writings saying he took power reluctantly, and was forced into public life. He also cites someone else who says Solon tricked both the rich and the poor in order to gain power. Plutarch just gives both sides as far as his information permits and moves on, the perfect model of a liberally educated mind.
October 7, 2022
Ler apenas o 1º dos 13 volumes de Vidas, já permite entender como essa obra influenciou várias gerações, especialmente de líderes políticos ao longo de séculos.
A edição bilingue, de quebra, possibilita uma melhor apreensão do alfabeto grego e da etimologia de algumas palavras de uso corrente em inglês e português.
A edição bilingue, de quebra, possibilita uma melhor apreensão do alfabeto grego e da etimologia de algumas palavras de uso corrente em inglês e português.
June 11, 2024
Tezeusz, Romulus i Publicola bangery; Likurg epickim źródłem do Sparty, reszta nudziaki
June 25, 2012
This first volume includes some information about Plutarch’s Lives, with information about their traditional order and chronological order. Also is an Introduction which discusses Plutarch’s life and writings. Lastly, it includes three of Plutarch’s comparisions. The first is Theseus and Romulus, the next is Lycurgus and Numa, and the last is Solon and Publicola. Each of the comparisons consists of three parts: the first two parts are short biographies of two historical people, one Greek and one Roman, followed by a comparison of the two.
Not all that much is known about Plutarch or his life, but he has two sets of works which are well known. His “Morals” are, for the most part, his earlier works while his “Lives” (or “Parallel Lives”) were written later. His focus on morals and customs from his earlier work shows itself in his biographical writings. Being Greek himself, Plutarch seemed intent on showing how the great Greeks of history were at least as those of Rome. Plutarch’s “Lives” also include a large number of anecdotes, which again indicates that Plutarch was more interested in culture and morality, rather than historical fact.
The first pairing is Theseus and Romulus. Each of the biographical sections covers the legendary lives of the subject. These are interesting discussions and good for reviewing the legends and lives of the figures, but it is the comparison section where one gets a better feel for the thoughts of Plutarch. It is here where Plutarch makes the case that Theseus sought out greatness when there was no need, but that Romulus needed to escape “servitude and impending punishment” and became “courageous out of fear” – a double quote as Plutarch is quoting Plato. He also compares deeds, with Romulus slaying a single tyrant, and Theseus is credited with saving Greece from numerous tyrants. Plutarch does balance the case by discussing how Romulus rose from the smallest beginning, and indicates that he may well not have killed Remus. He also indicates that there is “no plausible excuse” for many of his acts. Thus it is not the case that he is totally biased in favor of the Greek.
With that, Plutarch has set his method for these biographies and comparisons. The second paring is Lycurgus and Numa. In the comparison he discusses how they had similar careers and traits such as wisdom, governing, and educating. The last pairing in this collection is that of Solon and Publicola. In this case Plutarch discusses how the “second imitated the first” and that “the first bore witness for the second”, though there are certainly differences between the two as well, which he discusses
Loeb puts the “Lives” in the traditional order, so this first collection includes the first three traditional parings. These also happen to be in the chronological sequence of the Greek lives. As always, the Loeb edition provides additional material which enhances the reading of these classic pieces.
Not all that much is known about Plutarch or his life, but he has two sets of works which are well known. His “Morals” are, for the most part, his earlier works while his “Lives” (or “Parallel Lives”) were written later. His focus on morals and customs from his earlier work shows itself in his biographical writings. Being Greek himself, Plutarch seemed intent on showing how the great Greeks of history were at least as those of Rome. Plutarch’s “Lives” also include a large number of anecdotes, which again indicates that Plutarch was more interested in culture and morality, rather than historical fact.
The first pairing is Theseus and Romulus. Each of the biographical sections covers the legendary lives of the subject. These are interesting discussions and good for reviewing the legends and lives of the figures, but it is the comparison section where one gets a better feel for the thoughts of Plutarch. It is here where Plutarch makes the case that Theseus sought out greatness when there was no need, but that Romulus needed to escape “servitude and impending punishment” and became “courageous out of fear” – a double quote as Plutarch is quoting Plato. He also compares deeds, with Romulus slaying a single tyrant, and Theseus is credited with saving Greece from numerous tyrants. Plutarch does balance the case by discussing how Romulus rose from the smallest beginning, and indicates that he may well not have killed Remus. He also indicates that there is “no plausible excuse” for many of his acts. Thus it is not the case that he is totally biased in favor of the Greek.
With that, Plutarch has set his method for these biographies and comparisons. The second paring is Lycurgus and Numa. In the comparison he discusses how they had similar careers and traits such as wisdom, governing, and educating. The last pairing in this collection is that of Solon and Publicola. In this case Plutarch discusses how the “second imitated the first” and that “the first bore witness for the second”, though there are certainly differences between the two as well, which he discusses
Loeb puts the “Lives” in the traditional order, so this first collection includes the first three traditional parings. These also happen to be in the chronological sequence of the Greek lives. As always, the Loeb edition provides additional material which enhances the reading of these classic pieces.
October 5, 2017
Plutarkın dili gayet akıcı ve sade. adeta bir konuşma, sohbet havasında, pek de akademik olmayan bir dille, biyografileri anlatıyor, kronolojiyi takip ediyor. okunması zevkli, tarihi, yaşanılan olayları anlaması kolay. olayları ve kişileri anlatırken objektifliği de elden bırakmıyor. tabii ister istemez, okuyucuya bir fikir vermek amacıyla, olayları durumları karşılaştırmak amacıyla, bazı kilit bilgiler verdiği de görülüyor.
(yukarıdaki parağraf "Yaşamlar XXI - Lysandros-Sulla" ve "Yaşamlar: Theseus-Romulus"a yazdığım yorumdan. bu yorum, yazarın bu kitabı için de geçerli).
---------------------
Likurgus, M.Ö 900. Sparta-Antik Yunanistan'da yasa koyucu diye bilinir. fakat tüm bir yaşam düzenleyici bence. siyasi, idari, askeri, sosyal, ekonomik düzenlemeler, reformalar yapmış yazmış. kendini, tüm bir ülkeyi çocukluklarından itibaren erdem yolunda eğitmeye adamış. köklü yenilik geirmiş. tabii zamansız. çünkü devir demir çağı, savaş çağı. dünyanın çoğu savaşırken, bir ada gibi, erdem ve güzel ahlak, komünyon yaşam ne kadar sürebilir. yine de 500 yıl sürebilmiş. getirdiği bazı radikal marjinal yasalar-uygulamalar;
-komünyon bir yaşam,
-eşit bir ekonomi, aynı et, aynı ekmek yemek,
-paranın olmadığı, kullanılamadığı bir ekonomi, lüks yaşamın engellenmesi,
-altın ve gümüşün ticari dolaşımdan çekilmesi,
-bireyi, devletin sınıflandırması, eğitmesi,
-asker millet, ordu millet yetiştirmesi, bunu "300 Spartalı" filminde gayet net görüyoruz.
-para kazanmak için sanat yapmama,
-bir de "gizli servis", "krupteia". özel bir kolluk kuvveti, tabii bu tam kanıtlanamamış bir söylenti. Aristotales ve Platon, bu konuda ipuçları vermiş.
tüm bu düzenlemeler, gençlerin "yüreklerine" eğitim yoluyla yerleştirildiği için, uzun süre değiştirilmeden kalmış, yaşam şekilleri olmuş.
bilinen diğer komün yaşam denemeleri; Mazdek-Mezdek (ölümü 528) , Şeyh Bedreddin (1359-1421).
----------------------
Numa Pompilius, M.Ö 800. Roma'da kral, yasa koyucu. Pythagoras-Pisagor-Fisagor'un arkadaşı olduğu öne sürülür. pisagor gizemlerine hakim olduğu, barış ve dinginlik içinde yaşarken 40 yaşlarında, kendisine romanın başına geçmesi kral olması teklif edilir. bir tanrıça ve müzlerle yakın ilişkide olduğu öne sürülür. bilgeliğinin onlardan geldiğini ifade edermiş.
Platonun çok sonraları devlet-hükümet üzerine söylediği değerli söz; "kötülüğün sona ermesi için; umut, bir kralın gücü ve bir filozofun bilgeliği tek bir insanda birleşmeli ve bu sayede bu kişi, erdemi her şeyin üstüne çıkarır". s.87
işte platonun tarif ettiği olgunun bir örneği ve doğrulamasını, numa yapmış. dönemi, dine ahlaka bağlı bir yaşam tarzı, 43 yıl barış yılları olarak yaşanmış. ondan sonra gelen tullus hostilius ise bunların "erkekleri aylak ve kadınsı yaptığını bildirerek", yurttaşların düşüncelerini savaşa çevirmiş. numanın ölümünden sonra, "savaş, kafese alınmış ve tutuklanmış gibi, birden açıldı ve roma kan gölüne döndü". s.100
"Numanın durumundaki büyük, aslında tanrısal bir özellik olarak kalmayı sürdüren özellik ... ve salt bilgelik ve türenin [adaletin] gücü yoluyla yurttaşların gönlünü kazanması ve onları birlik ve uyuma götürmesidir". s.101
(yukarıdaki parağraf "Yaşamlar XXI - Lysandros-Sulla" ve "Yaşamlar: Theseus-Romulus"a yazdığım yorumdan. bu yorum, yazarın bu kitabı için de geçerli).
---------------------
Likurgus, M.Ö 900. Sparta-Antik Yunanistan'da yasa koyucu diye bilinir. fakat tüm bir yaşam düzenleyici bence. siyasi, idari, askeri, sosyal, ekonomik düzenlemeler, reformalar yapmış yazmış. kendini, tüm bir ülkeyi çocukluklarından itibaren erdem yolunda eğitmeye adamış. köklü yenilik geirmiş. tabii zamansız. çünkü devir demir çağı, savaş çağı. dünyanın çoğu savaşırken, bir ada gibi, erdem ve güzel ahlak, komünyon yaşam ne kadar sürebilir. yine de 500 yıl sürebilmiş. getirdiği bazı radikal marjinal yasalar-uygulamalar;
-komünyon bir yaşam,
-eşit bir ekonomi, aynı et, aynı ekmek yemek,
-paranın olmadığı, kullanılamadığı bir ekonomi, lüks yaşamın engellenmesi,
-altın ve gümüşün ticari dolaşımdan çekilmesi,
-bireyi, devletin sınıflandırması, eğitmesi,
-asker millet, ordu millet yetiştirmesi, bunu "300 Spartalı" filminde gayet net görüyoruz.
-para kazanmak için sanat yapmama,
-bir de "gizli servis", "krupteia". özel bir kolluk kuvveti, tabii bu tam kanıtlanamamış bir söylenti. Aristotales ve Platon, bu konuda ipuçları vermiş.
tüm bu düzenlemeler, gençlerin "yüreklerine" eğitim yoluyla yerleştirildiği için, uzun süre değiştirilmeden kalmış, yaşam şekilleri olmuş.
bilinen diğer komün yaşam denemeleri; Mazdek-Mezdek (ölümü 528) , Şeyh Bedreddin (1359-1421).
----------------------
Numa Pompilius, M.Ö 800. Roma'da kral, yasa koyucu. Pythagoras-Pisagor-Fisagor'un arkadaşı olduğu öne sürülür. pisagor gizemlerine hakim olduğu, barış ve dinginlik içinde yaşarken 40 yaşlarında, kendisine romanın başına geçmesi kral olması teklif edilir. bir tanrıça ve müzlerle yakın ilişkide olduğu öne sürülür. bilgeliğinin onlardan geldiğini ifade edermiş.
Platonun çok sonraları devlet-hükümet üzerine söylediği değerli söz; "kötülüğün sona ermesi için; umut, bir kralın gücü ve bir filozofun bilgeliği tek bir insanda birleşmeli ve bu sayede bu kişi, erdemi her şeyin üstüne çıkarır". s.87
işte platonun tarif ettiği olgunun bir örneği ve doğrulamasını, numa yapmış. dönemi, dine ahlaka bağlı bir yaşam tarzı, 43 yıl barış yılları olarak yaşanmış. ondan sonra gelen tullus hostilius ise bunların "erkekleri aylak ve kadınsı yaptığını bildirerek", yurttaşların düşüncelerini savaşa çevirmiş. numanın ölümünden sonra, "savaş, kafese alınmış ve tutuklanmış gibi, birden açıldı ve roma kan gölüne döndü". s.100
"Numanın durumundaki büyük, aslında tanrısal bir özellik olarak kalmayı sürdüren özellik ... ve salt bilgelik ve türenin [adaletin] gücü yoluyla yurttaşların gönlünü kazanması ve onları birlik ve uyuma götürmesidir". s.101
February 18, 2024
Ο Πλούταρχος μαζί με την βιογραφία των ατόμων που βιογραφεί εξιστορεί και τα σχετικά γεγονότα της Ελλάδας και Ρώμης αντίστοιχα. Αν κάποιος θέλει να διαβάσει όλες τις βιογραφίας, καλύτερα τα πάει με χρονολογική σειρά ζωής των ατόμων που βιογραφεί, ξεκινώντας από αυτό το τόμο. Αν και η έκδοση αυτή του Πάπυρου είναι του 1975, η μετάφραση έγινε πολύ νωρίτερα (Βραβεύτηκε από την Ακαδημία Αθηνών το 1937) και φαίνεται αυτό στο κείμενο, το οποίο είναι στην καθαρεύουσα. Δεξιά το αρχαίο κείμενο, αριστερά η μετάφραση και υποσημειώσεις στο κάτω μέρος της σελίδας, όπως και το προτιμώ, αλλά με γραμματοσειρά τόσο χάλια που σε κάθε σημάδι υποσημείωσης να προσπαθώ να μαντέψω σε ποιά υποσημείωση αντιστοιχεί. Εξαιρετικός ο Πλούταρχος!
August 5, 2025
The first “Plutarch Lives” title I have read with 6 historical (or mythical) characters.
It was a very interesting and good read if you take your mind of the reliability. History books of 2000 years ago aren’t always based on facts.
It was a very interesting and good read if you take your mind of the reliability. History books of 2000 years ago aren’t always based on facts.
April 21, 2022
Read the Life of Lycurgus, which in reality is a treatise on Spartan society. Fascinating.
August 3, 2025
Prefer the later ones, as Plutarch writes history better than myth
April 2, 2017
Plutarch's collection of biographical essays is commonly known as "Plutarch's Lives," but the actual full title is "Parallel Lives." Parallel Lives come from the structure and purpose of the work, which is to compare and contrast the lives of prominent Greek heroes and statesmen with their Roman Counterpart. After each set of Lives, Plutarch then give a short essay where he actually compares and contrasts the lives himself.
In this the first volume, Plutarch compares the following pairs: Theseus and Romulus, Lycurgus and Numa, and Solon and Publicola.
Plutarch does and excellent job or presenting a factual biography of people who are shrouded in myth. He discusses the alternative biographies as given by different sources, and discusses the weight and credibility of each.
In this the first volume, Plutarch compares the following pairs: Theseus and Romulus, Lycurgus and Numa, and Solon and Publicola.
Plutarch does and excellent job or presenting a factual biography of people who are shrouded in myth. He discusses the alternative biographies as given by different sources, and discusses the weight and credibility of each.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews